Dear Friends of Heroes of the Nation,
Weston Gitonga, a beloved father, spiritual leader and co-founder of HTN, has died at the age of 61. He passed away peacefully in a hospital, surrounded by family, after his organs began to shut down. We are sad to say good-bye to this incredible man of God but grateful that he is without pain, in the arms of his Heavenly Father.
Eighteen years ago, Weston and his wife, Violet, took in 8 children from their church who had been orphaned by AIDS. They provided for them, started a small school, and soon welcomed 7 others in dire need of shelter and education. When they met Andrew Sievright in 2002, it was clear that they had a heart for orhpans but needed additional resources to care for the hundreds of children-at-risk in Nyahururu Kenya. Together with Andrew, Heroes of the Nation was born.
Weston provided vision for Heroes of the Nation and was called ‘Dad Weston’ by the children. His large heart, deep laugh, and kind smiles were a safe place for hundreds of kids who needed a father figure. Over 1,300 children are either in, or have graduated from, this transformational organization.
Weston simultaneously co-founded Destiny Bible Colleges with Harold Eberle. Twelve colleges throughout Eastern Africa have developed and graduated thousands of pastors and leaders. Weston was a mentor and guide, becoming in essence, a spiritual Father of Africa.
Weston served his country by running for political positions in both the Kenyan senate and parliament, as he wanted to see Godly men and women serve inside of government and create real change that would bless the Kenyan people.
His heart for the marginalized led him to seek out a Massai tribe who needed care for their abandoned children. As the tribe saw Weston and HTN practically care for the least among them, they saw the love of Jesus. The whole tribe came to know Jesus as a result of the practical demonstration of love.
Weston was a great man of God, sacrificing himself for others, traveling all over East Africa to comfort, enlighten, impart and restore, establishing the Kingdom everywhere he went. Weston Gitonga was a true Apostle of Africa, and leaves an immense amount of fruit that will bring honor to his name forever.
The Bishop is survived by his wife Violet Waithera Gitonga, his son Sam West Kareri, his daughter Joy, his granddaughter Samera, and his grandsons Ty and West. A Funeral service and burial will take place in Nyahururu on Saturday November 10th. All who knew the Bishop are welcome to attend the service in the Nyahururu stadium, beginning at 10 am. A private burial will follow for family and very close friends.
Anyone wanting to watch Weston’s stadium funeral service can watch it on HTN’s Youtube live stream: http://bit.ly/FuneralWGitonga On Friday, November 9th at 9PM Pacific Standard Time.
Gifts for his surviving widow, Violet Gitonga, can be given through https://htn.org/give-now/ Please specify the nature of your gift and 100% will go directly to Violet.
Violet Gitonga will continuing running Heroes of the Nation, as she has done with excellence for the past years.
Admittance to Heroes of the Nation means things were not easy for you. Chances are, if you’ve found your way to us, it’s likely you’ve spent a fair amount of your life up until that point looking for your next meal and a safe place to sleep. In some cases, you may have not even know your own name or your family’s name.
We welcome these vulnerable children, and given time, they not only relax and begin to be kids again, they start to see who they are, that their future is bright, that dreaming is a part of a healthy lifestyle, and they begin to carry hope. They become part of a strong, new “tribe” of builders and leaders, where warm, healthy meals, a loving community, and lots of new friends make the transition a quick one for most of our kids.
The counselors and teachers at Heroes of the Nation have a special understanding of the unique challenges our kids face when they join the Heroes family. The grief. The fear. The uncertainty. The teachers become their new parents, who guide them to the Lord, providing the love and safety that every child needs. It is within this environment of love where every child is known and accepted that the healing process takes place.
Our young Heroes are taught about God and what He’s done in giving us Jesus. They begin to see themselves as extraordinary, set apart, fully accepted and loved by their Heavenly Father, the God of the universe! It doesn’t take long for each child to adopt the core values of Heroes of the Nation, where their Heavenly Father is always in a good mood, always loving, and very personal.
The prophet Isaiah wrote something profound a few thousand years ago in Chapter 61 that we believe applies perfectly to our children. Isaiah prophesied that Christ would preach good news to the poor, heal their broken hearts, proclaim liberty to those in captivity, and open doors for those bound in prison. He comforts those who mourn, giving them a garment of praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness. So that they may be called Trees of Righteousness, the Lord’s planting, that He may be glorified.
These Trees of Righteousness are the ones who will rebuild the old ruins, raise up the former desolations, repair the ruined cities and the desolations of many generations. Everlasting joy shall be theirs! We believe and prophesy this over our Heroes, and thank God for every opportunity we have to cultivate the ground beneath them.
Though this entry was originally posted last November, the information bears repeating. Enjoy!
Besides food expenses, there are significant costs associated with educating students as well. We have an amazing staff of 60-plus people, 22 of whom teach and train the children from preschool through high school. All of our teaching staff are college educated and hold various degrees from early childhood education to a Master’s degree in Biology. These dedicated people pour out on our kids daily, and are literally available 24/7 to our students, as 90% of our staff live on campus, too.
Abigail wants to join another mission trip next spring, and she’s working and saving money to make sure that happens! We at Heroes of the Nation want to honor and thank this special girl for her contagious enthusiasm about what God is doing at Heroes of the Nation, and her desire to impact the lives of orphaned and abandoned children. What a gift she is to the world!
I am Jeremiah Ectela Imon, and I am 24 years old.
Evrlyne Waithera of the Samburu Tribe (a sub-tribe of the Masai), was born in 1995, and the sad truth is that her father was a drunk. Atlhough he had some cattle, he didn’t take care of his family, so Evrlyne’s mother did the best she could to get food and water for Evrlyne and her younger twin siblings, Rose and Eric.
She said, “When my baby would cry, I would cry too, for I didn’t know what to do, and I had no one to help me.” Evrlyne appealed to her own mother, but her mother did not have the authority to help her. However, once Evrlyne learned that her father had died, and she knew her mother could then help.
In 2011, when Evrlyne was around 16 years old and still in school, her mother died. At this time, because of the special friendship of Bishop Daniel and his wife with Bishop Weston and Violet at Heroes of the Nation, Jackline, Evrlyne’s oldest daughter, was accepted into Heroes, along with Rose, Evrlyne’s younger sister. A year later, Jackline’s younger sister, Diana, followed.
Early in May, science teachers from Heroes High School and Primary School attended a workshop in Ndururumo given by external trainers on the new curriculum, and how best to teach the subject with maximum retention. They 
enjoyed the training workshop and collaborating with other educators 
from the area.
In last week’s blog post, we highlighted Dr. Weston and Violet Gitonga, co-founders and the African directors of Heroes of the Nation. This week, our president and co-founder, Andrew Sievright, is our focus.
Andrew’s base also sent out many international aid teams to developing nations. When Andrew heard of the orphanages that the teams visited, he knew that, given the opportunity, he would one day build a financially self-sustainable orphanage & school based on a self-sufficient business model that would empower orphans to be leaders through excellent education and leadership training. Thus the vision for Heroes of the Nation was birthed.
Besides continuing to offer insight into the growth and development of HTN, Andrew pursues multiple business and humanitarian endeavors, looking for solutions to humanity’s most pressing needs. Among other ventures, he is the president and founder of 
heroesofthenation.wordpress.com 
But Heroes Academy is more than just academics. We have clubs that meet after school hours to to give our children opportunities to find their passions and develop their gifts. Currently we offer business club, choir, music, cross country, soccer, Christian Union, drama, agriculture, environmental landscape, journalism, scouts (for both girls and boys) and a debate club.
For people who want to get involved, and help us keep our classrooms up to date and looking nice, there’s a fun program called Adopt-a-Classroom. A one-time gift of $824 gets 20 renovated desks and chairs, new paint, new floor, glass replaced where needed. It’s a great project for classrooms, communities groups such as scouts or church clubs, and for whole families!
For more info on Adopt-a-Classroom or to donate any amount toward it, click here: https://htn.org/give-now/ or inquire at https://htn.org/contact-us/.